Leaders. 73 



I adjourned to a neighboring meadow and cut three Or 

 four long leafy timothy stalks, which I very loosely 

 whipped to my leader. There was no casting, but sim- 

 ply letting the line float with the current over the most 

 likely places. Complete success was my reward. ( Forty- 



" Forty - Niner " leaders, prepared as described, did 

 comply with one of these conditions, and the " complete 

 success " which attended its use is replete with instruc- 

 tion to all such as, in the picturesque language of the 

 Orient, are willing to be admonished. 



The ink-dye consists simply of "Arnold's Writing 

 Fluid," diluted with an equal bulk of cold water. In 

 this the gut, washed as before directed, is immersed 

 from one -half to three or four hours, according to its 

 thickness, or until the desired color is obtained. 



The following process, taken from Chitty by Norris, 

 was originally derived by me from the latter's most ex- 

 cellent book, "The American Angler." I do not quote, 

 but give the process as I use it. 



In a pint and a half of cold water put one drachm of 

 ground logwood and six grains of powdered copperas. 

 Boil for about five or six minutes, or until a piece of 

 writing-paper immersed therein is promptly colored. 

 Then remove the pot from the fire, and as soon as the 

 liquid becomes quiescent put in the gut, tied to a little 

 stick or a wire so that it may be lifted and examined 

 from time to time. With watch in hand, give it two 

 to three minutes, according to its thickness, and then 

 inspect the result. If not dyed sufficiently, replace it for 

 another half-minute ; and so on till the required shade is 

 obtained. Then wash well in cold water, and the process 

 is complete. 



